Henrik Johan Ibsen

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text.
Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book
(without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.
1911 Excerpt: ...Ballon. And so the matter ended, eh? Peer. Oh no,
far otherwise I found it; For busy-bodies mixed themselves, With
furious outcries, in the business. The juniors of the clan were
worst; With seven of them I fought a duel. That time I never shall
forget, Though I came through it all in safety. It cost me blood;
but that same blood Attests the value of my person, And points
encouragingly towards The wise control of Fate aforesaid. Von
Eberkopf. Your outlook on the course of life Exalts you to the rank
of thinker. Whilst the mere commonplace empiric Sees separately the
scattered scenes, And to the last goes groping on, You in one
glance can focus all things. One norm 1 to all things you apply.
You point each random rule of life, Till one and all diverge like
rays From one full-orbed philosophy.--And you have never been to
college? Peer. I am, as I've already said, Exclusively a
self-taught man. Methodically naught I've learned; But I have
thought and speculated, And done much desultory reading. I started
somewhat late in life, And then, you know, it's rather hard To
plough ahead through page on page, And take in all of everything.
I've done my history piecemeal; I never have had time for more.
And, as one needs in days of trial Some certainty to place one's
trust in, I took religion intermittently. That way it goes more
smoothly down. One should not read to swallow all, But rather see
what one has use for. 1 So in original. Mr. Cotton. Ay, that is
practical Peer. Lights a cigar. Dear friends Just think of my
career in general. In what case came I to the West? A poor young
fellow, empty-handed; I had to battle sore for bread; Trust me, I
often found it hard. But life, my friends, ah, life is dear, And,
as the phrase goes, death is bitter. Well Luck, you see, ...